In a letter sent to Council President Donald Tusk ahead of the 9-10 March EU summit, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov warns against attempts by Western powers to impose on his country a political platform “written in Tirana”.

The Albanian demands, he said, would undermine the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Ivanov’s move was swiftly denounced by the opposition as a “coup” and condemned by the United States and the European Union, which Macedonia aspires to join.

Macedonia’s political crisis deepened yesterday (1 March) as opposition leader Zoran Zaev accused President Gjorge Ivanov of fomenting a “coup d’état” by refusing to give him the mandate for forming a government.

But thousands of Macedonians agree with the president and for the past two weeks have taken to the streets, chanting patriotic slogans and urging unity.

A political crisis that has paralysed Macedonia for two years is sliding into an ethnic dispute, with nationalists taking to the streets over a series of demands by the country’s Albanians.

Their main problem is with the demand to make Albanian an official language in this Balkan country of 2.1 million inhabitants.

Albania’s President Bujar Nishani yesterday met with Ivanov on the sidelines of an international forum in Baku.

Nishani “voiced concern over general political situation and inter-ethnic relations in Macedonia”, a statement from his office said.

And he warned “that attempts to turn the political crisis into an ethnic crisis could have serious consequences for everyone,” it added.

The problem appeared to be settled in 2001 following a peace accord which ended a seven-month ethnic Albanian insurgency that left more than 100 people dead, with the deal providing more rights for the minority.

But snap elections in December, part of an EU-brokered deal aimed at solving long-running political troubles, has reawaken the issue in the former Yugoslav republic.

Russia has warned that the push by Tirana to introduce Albanian as a second language in Macedonia amounts to foreign interference and is contrary to the Macedonian constitution. Russia also says the EU plays a “detrimental role” by supporting the so-called “Albanian platform”.

Speaking to EURACTIV.com, Russia’s Ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, criticised the European Commission’s handling of the crises in Macedonia and Kosovo, and regretted the “hysteria” over alleged Russian interference in Montenegro.

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23 responses to “Albania warns Macedonia not to bring ethnic twist to crisis”

The Macedonian Slavs need to get used to the fact that the Albanian population within FYROM is there to stay and will only grow. They either assume an antagonistic role and end up in a civil war or assume an inclusive role which safeguards Albanian language and identity and safeguards the Slavic Bulgarian heritage. Both groups need to coexist on the land together in a peaceful manner. The nationalistic approach of the Bulgarian Slavic population will only get them into trouble via a civil war. The Albanians have proven resilience over many centuries. They have an ancestral connection in FYROM which is over 7000 years old, a lot longer than there Bulgarian Slavic co-occupiers. It’s not about Greater Albania. The Albanians of FYROM have no intention of separating. What they want is equal recognition and a stop to a false culture which has been engineered by The Bulgarian Slavic population. They cannot identify with an imposed Hellenic culture. They want a neutral landscape. It’s a composite country made up of Bulgarian Slavs, Albanians, Vlachs, Turks, Romani, Serbs and Pomaks. The last census was in 2002. That’s 15 years ago. Back then these groups were at 35%. Right now if FYROM were to conduct a census it would cause a cultural earthquake. They need to be all inclusive. The Gruevski master plan of Skopje 2014 is a polarizer. No group other that the brainwashed Bulgarian Slavs can identify with it. Gruevski exacerbated a volatile phenomena that has been fed for decades by the Diaspora community since the umbilical cord to Bulgaria was cut by Tito. The educated Bulgaria Slavs know their roots. The not so educated Bulgarian Slavs are vulnerable to propaganda. The Nazification of Fyrom has been fueled by the VMRO-DPMNE. They and they alone have embarked on the insanity that is Antiquization. Their school curriculums have been contaminated. Imagine teaching an Albanian child that his ancestor is a Greek by the name of Alexander the Great. It bad enough trying to get the Bulgarian Slavic community to believe it but they do. Both groups cannot even pronounce the historical Greek names. They are foreign words that have been imposed by one man and one party – Gruevski and the VMRO-DPMNE. Politicians like Zaev and Georgievski offer hope. Unfortunately when they speak out they are accused of being traitors and undermining the cultural fabric. What cultural fabric? It’s a fabrication. The VMRO-DPMNE was founded as a mirror modern day version of the Bulgarian Patriot liberation organization the IMRO. Staunchly Slavic Bulgarian in ethnicity. Staunchly unionist with Bulgaria. Gruev & Dalchev who are now national heroes of Bulgaria and FYROM used to pass death sentences on any Slavs claiming that the blood of Alexander The Great ran through them. If they were still around half of the population of FYROM would be dead. They (FYROM) are culturally gluttonous. Not only do they want to embrace the Bulgarian culture that is within them but they also want to steal an older culture which they not connected to. They cannot have both. Its either one or the other. If it’s Hellenic culture then apologize to Bulgaria and give them back their history. If its Bulgarian culture then keep Gruev & Dalchev ,drop Alexander and apologize to Greece. This is not like sexuality. You cannot be Bi-Historical. You are either one or the other. It is understandable why the Albanians are so pissed off. I fear the worst. 2001 was merely a warning. If Ivanov and Gruevski continue trying to protect their Hellenistic stolen culture they will end up in a civil war. The reason the country is failing is because it is based on artificial foundations. Rotten to the core. Deluded in all aspects. They need to demolish those grotesque reproduction Italian made statues, rename their airport, change their flag, rename their highways, burn their heretic encyclopedias, change the school curriculum, drop the irredentist platform and the country will thrive. Nations can only be established on correct cultural foundations. FYROM is sitting on stilts and is about to collapse.

Michael Danias real name Kostas with a surname suffix of “Oglou” . How much more Turkish can you get Kostas? He is YouTube’s number one idiot and 95% anti-Macedonian video uploaded with “Monkeydonia” videos with a hundred identities on the comments thread. He lives with his mom, two cats and one fat lazy dog that sleeps on his bed.

The Greek Government has been paying him to post from his basement for years.

@ Susan Kay: You want to act like a knowledgeable person, but you sound very naive and hateful too…..So what is he, either Greek or Albanian , and he cannot be both(Michael Danias)…..Secondly, Greeks and Albanians do not get along either, so you sound like a fool…Thirdly, There is only one way to coexist: Cooperation, respect and equality of languages, traditions etc etc….Fourth, since you know so much about this guy(which I have no clue who he is) are you by any chance one of his exes?
I am sorry to say this, but you sound so pathetic….

@Eric
LOL..is this you again? Go on EVERY comments article with ‘Macedonia’ in it and you will find the ramblings of the same lunatic. I’m not the only one that has accused him although my facts are pretty much spot on. He’s a self proclaimed Greek with a Turkish surname. It’s ok, I don’t hate Greeks. I just don’t like him.

Secondly, point out my hate? I’m only stating what is very obvious. As for naive, I’m far from it. I usually get that from guys that feel threatened by me. Knowledgeable…I am on most things…

Thirdly, an x? He wishes. As a matter of fact – he himself used to accuse myself of being paid by the Gruevski government when it’s a known fact that the Greek Govt had paid bloggers. It’s not my fault that he’s an obvious gyfto that attacked me while I was minding my own business.

Remember the Albanians in Athens in the 18th Century that exceeded the Greeks by numbers? Your first ruler, German King Otto made them all into 100% Greeks and formed your newly modern state. That means that even Australia is older than Greece! This is why today I know Greeks that look like Albanians. Does it matter, no? But when you try and lay identities on your neighbours and think you’re solely from a superior race then you are suffering from delusions of grandeur. This is Michael, a Chrysi Avi member.

Pathetic? Me. Why? You’re attacking me when my first post has NOTHING to do with nationalism but I am attacking the bigot, yet you’re attacking me? Why? Maybe you should read his post.Maybe it’s you who is sounding pathetic?

Also, how would you like me to come in your home – tell you to pack all your belongings while I rearrange it with my belongings and demand I control your home? Then one day, I’ll take your home when I get comfortable.

Eric Godaj: Greece is mainly populated by Arvanites [Shqiptar], Greece has no inhabitants that can identify their ancestry to the Ancient Greeks, Modern Greece was established by the European Nobles. Susan Kay is now starting to sound less and less pathetic all at once.

Thanks Susan
I had to pitch in here too
it isn’t only me but many have noticed how one individual makes an appearance of EVERY! freaking Forum
and its distracting from what is important in the first place the actual topic of discussion
he comes across as taking great pleasure in hoping for a demise of the Macedonians who he can’t even acknowledge first because he has something to hide
I take a very passing interest in Macedonian affairs but get involved when I feel I need to
I still wish him the best but the way he going about things is denial of himself and frankly if he wants to continue it he only will be paddling up stream because we are not naive and stupid to know
a little about the Greeks in fact allot

Dr Grey: Macedonia and Thrace were partitioned in 1913 by the Great Powers [England, France and Germany] with threat of war, to prevent the enactment of the London Protocol. European Turkey was created [Dardanelles] to cross the Bosphorus Strait. The purpose was to deny Russia the opportunity of having naval access [naval port] into the Aegean Sea and then the Mediterranean Sea, to prevent Russia establishing itself as a naval power and thus threat to ‘Britannia ruling the seas’. It’s that plain and simple. Macedonia has never been part of Greece. The Greeks only changed the name of their acquired Northern Provinces [Territories] to Macedonia after the Socialist Republic of Macedonia seceded from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991. Before this date it was punishable in Greece to mention the word Macedonia. The School of Higher Industrial Studies of Thessaloniki was curiously renamed the University of Macedonia in 1991. We can discuss the genocide of the Macedonian population 1913 onward, the Metaxas regime (1936).
Danias is an immoral denier and criminal, too stupid to recognize his evil shame.

Zaneta the Geo-Political Power continues – keep Russia out of the Balkans
and Macedonia pays the price
and the irony Macedonia has always had far closer support and ties to US then Russia
Macedonian should know who supports them and I think support nobody but yourselves
don’t look to join clubs do what you haven’t done for 30 years
fight for your rights the Macedonia diaspora will support you but can’t do it for you either

This has NOTHING! to do with Albanian minority rights that is just a side show
And a point to make
The US Ambassador in Macedonia Jess Baily spent $25m in the past two years financing the opposition in the Macedonia, various leftists groups and organizations and is directly behind the financing of the so called colourful revolution.

How about the Republic of Albania
Recognize the Macedonian Minority in Albania
Hold an internationally monitored National Census
then Recognize the Macedonian Language as an official language too, like Albanian already is in the Macedonia

Then the Macedonian Minority can have a meet and greet with the Macedonian Govt
to change Albanian Constitution and transform society in a bi National State not a Multicultural State

Macedonians and Albanians should learn to live in peace and harmony, instead of being scared of diversity, they should embrace it and take pride in it. Albanian should be recognised as an official language since it’s spoken by more than one third of the country. Look at countries like Belgium or Switzerland to see good examples of different ethnicities with different official languages living in peace and harmony. Bad mouthing each other is stupid and childish.

Albanian is already an official Language in Macedonia
the onus is on Macedonian-Albanians to show some obligations to the Macedonian State not just continuously demand
it does nothing to remove the fears the majority have of Albanian succession and fears of “Greater Albania”
Macedonia is unlike any Country the civil rights it gives its Albanian Minority

you cannot co-esxist with ignorant slavs who steal history. best that the albanians partition and split. you will never gain peacful existence with the falsified antiquization brainwashing of fyrom. wage war. take what is yours. all albanians are indigenous and were there first by 7000 years. the slavs will never behave.

I really don’t mind if you Albanians and Slavs; Muslims and Christians slaughter each other down to the last believer standing, so long as no British blood or treasure is expended in trying to keep you apart – or rebuild the Balkans afterwards.

Macedonians protest in Berlin, want end to ‘name negotiations’ with Greece
Sunday, 19 March 2017

A peaceful protest was staged Saturday in downtown Berlin dubbed “Macedonians For Unitary Macedonia”, MIA’s correspondent reports from the German capital.

Organizers say the protest, held in front of the Brandenburg Gate, is a show of support for the protests standing with united Macedonia that are taking place for 20 days across Macedonia.

“Macedonians in Germany, an unbreakable part of the people of Macedonia, by holding a peaceful protest voice concern about the unitary nature and statehood of Macedonia, over the country’s name and the identity of the nation,” reads a declaration of the Macedonian community presented today at the protest.

According to the document, Macedonians in Germany denounce federalization and attempts made at making Albanian the second official language in the country.

From the Berlin protest, Macedonians in Germany have called on democratic countries to support the unitary nature and statehood of Macedonia, in which everyone is equal before the Constitution and the law, regardless of one’s social status, ethnic origin, religious affiliation and political views.

Also, they demand an end to negotiations about the name row between Macedonia and Greece and a resumption of the country’s membership in the UN and other international organizations under the state name Macedonia, with no transcription in Latin of Macedonian. They say they champion the use of the English translation ‘Republic of Macedonia’ with the possibility to use ‘The Republic of’ to clearly distinguish from the norther Greek province of the same name and the southwestern province in Bulgaria.

In the declaration presented today, the Macedonian community in Germany reject any possible attempts to change the name, flag, coat of arms and the anthem of Macedonia and demand that a population census should be held urgently. They say they will denounce any future government coalition that will not respect this declaration.

“The Constitution of Macedonia, which enshrines equality of all Macedonian citizens in line with all international standards, must serve as the only platform that will lay ground for co-existence and future in an independent and sovereign Macedonia,” protest organizers say adding the declaration will be sent to several international organizations, including the UN Security Council, the Council of Europe, the EU, OSCE and to political subjects in Macedonia.

I am a Serb, and I know the Albanians very well. They do not integrate. They will demand you give them official recognition, language, schools everything. They also know how to play the secular liberal Europeans of the west, and the west at the same time plays them to hold back what they see as an encroaching Russia and to limit the Slavs. In the end the Albanians will demand their own state, as in the artificial pirate state of so called Kosova formed out of Kosovo, Slavic Serb name because the shiptars have none of their own. I will guarantee the Macedonians that they will have no peace with the Sunni Muslim Albanians. The Macedonians where fools to recognise Albanian claims to Kosovo. They will now see what it is like when the west interferes in the sovereign territory of their nation and ultimately supports the carve up of their territory to create another Muslim sh..t hole in Europe. Hopefully this time Russian influence is strong enough to keep NATO away, that and the fact that we Serbs and Greeks hate the Muslim Albanian interlopers too, a Balkan coalition against this so called greater, mostly Sunni, Albania.

Who are these EU NATO fakers to say that we do not live in peace when it is they that bombed Serbia in 1999 and aided the shiptars to hold south western Serbian territory hostage. Serbs never attacked the French and English and this is how they repaid us for our alliances against the Nazis in the past. Every Serb will remember this. The Russians do not recognise Albanian claims to Kosovo, and we will aid the Russians in the Balkans against the evil NATO. Macedonia would be wise to keep closer to the Russians too.